Rock News

KISS, Def Leppard Launching Co-Headlining Tour

KISS and Def Leppard are launching their collaborative tour. The two bands will kick off their co-headlining "2014 Heroes Tour" in West Valley City, Utah Monday night.

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell admits while both groups will deliver sets that run about 75 minutes, it feels a little strange to be opening the shows. But he tells Provo's Daily Herald while his group gives a "pretty high-energy" performance, it "made sense" for KISS to be the closer. The guitarist says he's "never seen so much pyro and circus tricks" as there are in KISS' show, and there's "no way" Def Leppard "would be able to out-do that spectacle in terms of production."

Campbell adds that his health situation might create some challenges. The rocker explains that he's been undergoing a new type of treatment following the return of his Hodgkin's lymphoma, and he's only about half-way through the process. But he says he feels well enough to tour, and calls his disease "awkward to work around, but not impossible."

Vivian also says he wouldn't let his illness keep him off the road. He explains that there's "nothing worse than sitting around the hose concentrating on the negative," while playing live is "very, very therapeutic" for him.